Padres Reducing Prices Of Season- And Day-Of-Game Tickets For '11

The Padres for the second straight year are “making changes and price reductions to season- and day-of-game ticket prices in hopes of attracting more fans to Petco Park,” according to Bill Center of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. The “biggest changes for the general public will be in price reductions for day-of-game purchases.” The Padres are increasing the number of seats that cost less than $18 by 65% -- "from 9,176 seats in 2010 to 15,121 in 2011.” The team also is increasing its under-$14 inventory from the 802 seats available in ’10 to 8,074 seats “to include areas in the upper right field and left field grandstands.” Padres President & COO Tom Garfinkel noted all full-season ticket prices will be 40% "below the day-of-game purchase price." He said, "We are doing everything we can to make the ballpark affordable.” The Padres this season drew 2,131,744 fans, an 11% increase from last year (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 10/8). In San Diego, Tim Sullivan notes while the team’s announced home attendance “rose by 212,171 -- a per-game rise of 2,619 over 2009 -- much of that reflected a fan migration to lower-priced tickets.” Padres Vice Chair & CEO Jeff Moorad said, “This region continues to be challenged. We’ll be sensitive to that as we price our options going forward.” He added, "Much was made of the non-capacity crowds toward the end of the season compared to other cities. I told everyone who asked: ‘Look, this is a community that needs to see and believe.’ I believe they’ve now seen a bit and they’re beginning to believe." Moorad noted that the Padres’ revenues “were relatively flat” in ’10. He also said that he “still plans to complete his purchase of the Padres before the deal’s 2014 deadline, though probably not in the next year” (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 10/8).